Many people suffer breathing problems, particularly asthma, from allergic reactions. Asthma is frequently triggered by grasses, grains, and dust. Alternatively, wet materials, particularly molds often trigger asthmatic attacks. Much work has been done to ameliorate asthmatic attacks in human beings. Metered dose inhalers (MDI) have been developed which will deliver a metered does of medication upon depression of an outlet valve. Epinephrine was one of the first such anti-asthmatic drugs to be packaged in metered dose inhalers. However, epinephrine has undesirable side effects, and better medications have been developed, such as metaproterenol, and albuterol. These have a more direct action on the bronchi and do not have nearly as many side effects.
The metered dose inhalers do not themselves produce a sufficiently aerosolized form of medication to be highly effective. Various efforts have been made to provide chambers between the metered dose inhalers and the users, say for example Nowacki et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,412, and Foley et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,803. The aerosolizing chambers disclosed and claimed in the two foregoing patents are relatively inexpensive and highly effective in producing more efficient use of the medication.
There is another class of sufferers of asthma that has not as yet been given adequate attention. Members of the equine family often suffer from asthma. For example, it is estimated that there are 10,000,000 horses in the United States. It is further estimated that 60% of the horses are asthmatic. This means that there are something on the order of 6,000,000 asthmatic horses in the United States alone. Although prospectively one does not tend to think of horses and other animals of the equine family as being sufferers of asthma, it would be appreciated that such animals are constantly around grasses, grains, dust, molds, etc. which are recognized allergens. The problem is particularly acute with horses that have to perform physically, such as race horses, working farm horses, etc. Some little work has been done with nebulizers, but these have not been very effective. Furthermore, it is believed that there is no anti-asthmatic medication with special efficacy in the equine family. Further, it is believed that it will be many years before any such specific anti-asthmatic medication is developed. However, we have found that human type anti-asthmatic medications are effective with horses and the like.
The problem is to deliver anti-asthmatic medication to equine animals. It is true that horses can be taught some tricks, and certain working activities, but there is no evidence to indicate that a horse can be told when to inhale, and when to hold its breath, etc.